Gore-style global warming

Former v.p. leaves sizable carbon footprint himself

I wish I could afford to live at 125 =
Third=20
Street. Located in the financial and theater districts of San =
Francisco,=20
this 42-story residence has been called "the finest condominium in =
the=20
country." With dedicated 24-hour concierge, butler and security =
services,=20
and breathtaking interiors designed by the Yabu Pushelberg Group, =
the St.=20
Regis Museum Tower includes an unrivaled vista of the bay. The =
penthouse=20
sold for $70 million, and in my opinion was worth every cent. =
That's=20
because, like Al Gore, I am not at all concerned about my "carbon=20
footprint."

During 2005, while filming the =
propaganda film=20
"An Inconvenient Truth," Gore also purchased his lavish 125 Third =
Street=20
condominium. But the lobby is about 4 feet above the bay water =
line. In=20
his film, which a British high court declared as "political" not=20
scientific, Gore depicts cities like San Francisco deluged due to =
melting=20
global ice sheets, allegedly caused by human carbon dioxide=20
emissions.

Perhaps Gore's intention is to save his =
multi-million dollar condo, not by reducing his carbon footprint =
but by=20
virtue of common people reducing theirs, convinced to do so by his =
Nobel=20
Prize? But is he convinced the condo can be saved by converting =
only the=20
faithful? Apparently not.

At the June 2009 Cornell University =
"Global Forum=20
on Sustainable Enterprise" Gore proclaimed, "If the U.S. and every =
wealthy=20
country cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero, and there was no =
change in=20
the developing world, the crisis would still overtake us." =
Therefore, Gore=20
also needs to convince developing world peoples, who live in =
abject=20
poverty, to convert as well.

The InterPacific Bar Association - the =
IPBA - has=20
scheduled Gore to their conference in Singapore in May 2010. To =
put this=20
IPBA sermon in perspective, listen to Gore at the April 2009 House =
Energy=20
Subcommittee responding to Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn's =
question=20
about his green investments. Gore retorts, "If you believe that =
the reason=20
that I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of =
greed,=20
then you don't know me!" I believe him. I also believe IPBA =
sources who=20
explain that Gore required an honorarium of $300,000, not =
including=20
expenses and incidentals.

Since the IPBA comprises lawyers and =
judges, I=20
proposed that the scales of justice be balanced by a debate =
speaker. I=20
contacted leading climate experts and scientists to establish =
their=20
availability for the May 2010 Singapore conference. I promised to =
forward=20
their names to the conference organizers on strict condition that =
they=20
agree to an honorarium of zero.

Eleven of 12 agreed to debate Gore for =
expenses=20
only. From a former lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on =
Climate=20
Change science report to a renowned lord of Parliament, my list is =
formidable. Assuming Gore will forgo his well-known habit of =
shirking=20
honest debate, we are awaiting Singapore's selection of a debate =
speaker.=20
But for expenses-only, and in the context of their profession, how =
can the=20
IPBA deny that both cases be heard, especially in behalf of the =
poor=20
people of Asia?

In the meantime, both Al Gore and I are =
predicting that 125 Third Street lobby will be above water, at =
least=20
through May 2010.

Paul V. Sheridan of Dearborn, Mich., is a Cornell =
graduate with=20
degrees in physics, mathematics and business, and is a nationally=20
recognized automotive safety consultant. He is a recipient of the =
Civil=20
Justice Foundation National Champion Award and is an occasional=20
contributor to the Viewpoints page.